PATRIOTS NOTEBOOK: Maroney drops the ball once again

Monday

After fumbling just once over his first three years in the league, the running back has now turned the ball over four times this season. Sunday’s mishap leads to his benching.

One New England Patriot dropped the ball in Sunday’s 35-7 thrashing of the Jacksonville Jaguars at Gillette Stadium.

Meet Laurence Maroney.

Maroney did his part to keep the Jaguars in this game for a time, literally fumbling the ball on the goal line (the ball bounced off the paint before Jaguars safety Anthony Smith recovered it at the 1), thus ending the Patriots’ opening drive 5:24 into the first quarter.

New England’s challenge was denied when replays failed to provide concrete evidence that the running back had broken the plane of the goal line before defensive tackle John Henderson forced the fumble.

“Unfortunately,” fellow running back Sammy Morris said, “it’s part of the game.”

Unfortunately, it’s become far too prevalent in Maroney’s game.

The fumble was the fifth of Maroney’s four-year career. Four of those fumbles — and he’s lost each and every one of them — have come this season.

After fumbling the ball away, Maroney was neither seen nor heard from again. His day came to an early end with just five carries for 22 yards.

By the time the day was through, Fred Taylor, who hadn’t set foot on the field since injuring his right ankle against Baltimore back on Oct. 4, had been more of a workhorse than Maroney.

Inserted against his old team in a mop-up role, Taylor wound up gaining 35 yards on 11 carries — all on one fourth-quarter possession that took 12:12 off the clock.

“It was good to see them all,” Taylor said of his former teammates, “but no biggie. Just to get out there and be able to play. … I’d been on the pine for quite some time, so it feels good just to get back out there.”

Prior to tucking the ball under his arm, Taylor said he took Maroney under his wing.

“We talked throughout the game,” said Taylor. “I just told him in all situations just try and pull some positive from it. God works in mysterious ways. We all know that. I just told him whether good or bad it happened for a reason so just be patient, find a positive and keep your head up.”

According to Morris, the Patriots’ running back by committee — him, Taylor, Kevin Faulk and BenJarvus Green-Ellis — will be there for Maroney at a time when his psyche may be hurting.

“I think as a unit we’re all there for him,” said Morris, who carried 12 times for a game-high 95 yards and one touchdown. “We’re all there for each other. We’ve got a lot of experience back there. You know that everything isn’t going to go your way.”

Not In-Vinc(e)-ible

Nose tackle Vince Wilfork missed his second straight game with a foot injury.

Put through his paces by members of the Patriots’ training staff on the field Sunday morning, Wilfork legitimately appeared to be a game-time decision.

The CBS Scene will be the site of a rather interesting viewing party the night of Jan. 7.

With top-ranked Alabama playing second-ranked Texas in the BCS National Championship Game that night, a pair of Patriots alumni representing each side — ’Bama product John Hannah and former Longhorn Bob McKay — will be on hand at the CBS Scene as part of a pregame chalk talk panel that will participate in a question-and-answer segment.

Game time in Pasadena, Calif., is slated for 8:30 p.m. The event at the CBS Scene is scheduled to begin at 6:30.

Further information is available by contacting the Patriots alumni office at 508-384-9292 or by emailing alumni@patriots.com.

Fan-tastic:

Christine Brennan, a hairstylist from Nashua, N.H., was honored as the New England Patriots Fan of the Year in a ceremony held prior to Sunday’s kickoff.

A fan of the Pats for a quarter of a century, Brennan’s devotion to the team was enhanced by the that, while growing up, players made hospital visits to see her three brothers, all of whom were battling cystic fibrosis, a disease that ultimately claimed their lives.

Brennan’s home in Nashua is decorated both inside and out with Patriots memorabilia.

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